Perry dines with Trump on birther rumors

Texas Gov. Rick Perry feels debate over President Obama’s birthplace is “a distractive issue”, but the Republican presidential hopeful can count himself distracted.

Rick Perry (Photo by Getty Images)

Interviewed in the latest issue of Parade, Perry was asked if he believes the 44th President was born in the United States.

“I have no reason to think otherwise,” the governor replied.

Press about his not-quite answer, Perry elaborated: “Well, I don’t have a definitive answer because he has never seen my birth certificate.”

“But you’ve seen his,” asked Parade, referring to the long-form Hawaii birth certificated released by the state last April.

“I don’t know, have I?” asked Perry.

“You don’t believe what’s been released?”

“I don’t know. I had dinner with Donald Trump the other night,” said Perry.

“And?”

“That came up.”

“And he said?”

“He doesn’t think it’s real.”

“And you said?”

Apparently realizing he’d dug himself into a hole, Perry concluded: “I don’t have any idea. It doesn’t matter. He’s the President of the United States. He’s elected. It’s a distractive issue.”

Trump made “birtherism” a centerpiece of his agenda last spring when he was Republicans’ flavor of the month. “The Donald” became an object of mirth when Obama had Hawaii release the long-form birth certificate. The President then proceeded to lampoon Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Still, a bevy of GOP presidential hopefuls — and former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin — have sought out and broken bread with non-candidate Trump in recent months.